Arson suspected in Palatine apartment fire

An apartment fire in Palatine late Wednesday is under investigation as a possible arson.

When firefighters arrived at the Village of the Sun complex on the 1100 block of East Nichols Road at about 11:45 p.m., the fire had been mostly put out by a neighbor who'd broken out a sliding-glass door and used a portable extinguisher.

No one was injured, but the fire caused an estimated $20,000 to the contents and structure of one unit, which was deemed uninhabitable.

The fire department said early indications are the fire was set intentionally, and local firefighters and police are investigating.

The Nichols Road fire was called in just moments after the department was dispatched to condo buildings on the 800-900 blocks of South Plum Grove Road for reports of a smoky smell and light haze.

Firefighters determined there was a fire inside the wall of condo that had been smoldering for a few hours and was believed to have been caused by heat from a plumber's torch used during work earlier Wednesday.

Two units there were left uninhabitable and damage was estimated at $5,000.

Palatine credited its automatic mutual aid agreements and central dispatch system with the quick response to both fire with assistance from neighboring departments.